Bridge



J 1934- J. B. STRAUSS 1,967,381

BRIDGE Filed Jan. 11, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet l @NVENTOR.

JUSEFH E-STRHUSS cakw ATTORNEY July 24, 1934.

J. B. STRAUSS 1,967,381

BRIDGE Filed Jan. 11. 1932 3 Sheets$het 2 if i 23 INVENTOR.

g USEPH E. STRHUSS @LM ATTORNEY July 24, 1934-. STRAUSS 1,967,381

BRIDGE Filed Jan. 11, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

JOSEPH El. STRFIUSS ATTORNEY Patented July 24, 1934 PATENT OFFICE Josefih B. Strauss; San Francisco, cam.

a Amie-tam. 18.1mm 11,,

1932 Serial no. 585,895

;o1ai s. (oi. 14-21) I This invention :relates lto improvements :in bridges .has particular reference to bridge tower constmction. The principal object of: the invention is to 5E1 construct abridge towerof cellular construction. A further object is to produce a bridge tower having an artistic appearance, large at the base and small at the top, through the employment of which iscommonly known asset-backs. 110:; Another object "is to provide means whereby the towers may be suitably braced so thatthe strain will be distributed to the tower through horizontal bracing only, in counter-distinction to'that type of bracingknownas diagonal bracmg."

A stillfurtherobject is to produce a tower construction which is economical to build through the employment of cellular units of equal size, whichare reduced innumber com stress at "the tower top.

flparative to the reduced stress.

- Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forminga part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. I is a front elevation of one of my towers with the connecting panels broken away in order to show the horizontal members,

Fig. II is a side elevation of Fig. I,

Fig. III is a side elevation of Fig. IV showing a fragment of the tower,

Fig. IV is a cross sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. I and on an enlarged scale, a portion of the figure being shown in cross section and the remainder of the figure being diagrammatically illustrated, and

Fig. V is an enlarged detail View showing the construction of the cells and one possible arrangement thereof.

In the building of bridges, and particularly suspension bridges, it is customary to employ a series of towers over which the suspension cables are placed, which tower are generally fabricated of steel, tapering from the base toward the upper extremity, which tapering serves the purpose of diminishing the amount of material in the upper portion of the towers where less strength is needed. This tapering construction "is a very expensive type of construction. At the same time, the material can not be as exactly proportioned as Where the cells are stopped off at intervals.

Applicant has therefore devised a new form of tower wherein he employs a plurality of cells allof the same size and shape, which cells are super-imposed one upon the other and secured one to the other in such a manner that the tower is in reality constructed of a plurality of 8.". cells arranged in parallel alignment. Through the use of a cellular 'construc tion itis pos sible to reduce the number of cells as the tower progresses in height, thus reducing the material employed to correspond with the reducedstress .5; and at the same time securing a set-back effect. Therefore it ispossible to start with a base having a considerable area and composed of a large number of cells, and to, at various intervals, reduce the cross sectional area to correspond with the stress at that point by stopping the upper 'progression of the cells and to finally arrive at the upper end of the tower with the requisite cross sectional area for the load and In the accompanying drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numerals 5. and 6 designate a pair of tower posts having a fixed base, which together with horizontal 'members 7, 8, 9 and 11 form a tower construction extending above a road-way 12, while braces 13 below the road-way complete the tower construction. As these posts 5 and 6 are identical in construction, but one will be described.

Referring now to Figs. III, IV and V, it will be noted that the towers 6 is constructed of a plurality of rectangular cells 14 placed side by side and secured one to the other in any desired manner. This arrangement permits a cross sectional area of the posts which may be increased or decreased at will, depending upon the number of cells which are placed in horizontal alignment. This also permits certain areas within the post to be left vacant so that elevators or other equipment may be installed in these vacant places. These cells, when assembled to form the posts, are left hollow, i. e., they are not filled with concrete or other composition, thus saving in the weight on the piers and further the filling of a structure with concrete would take structure. If desired, the side walls of one cell may also form the side walls of the next cell. For instance, the side wall 1'7 may be a single thickness of metal or may be a double thickness of metal without altering the substances of this invention. The same is also true of the top and bottom plates.

In constructing the bridge tower, two posts are spaced on a foundation and as these posts progress in height, siutable bracing is connected between the same. When a pre-determined height has been reached, a road-way is installed between the posts and above this road-waya plurality of horizontal members suitably braced, connect the posts at definite intervals. The manner of connecting these horizontal members is best illustrated in Figs. III and IV, wherein it will be noted that plates 22 and'23 are connected to certain of the cells and to these plates the; horizontal girders 24 and their cross braces 26 are attached. vThis manner of attaching the horizontal members braces the tower posts effectively and at the same time avoids the stereotyped form of diagonal cross bracing. This is illustrated at A in Fig. V. i

As the posts increase in height I diminish the cross sectional area by using a less number of vertically arranged cells. I can, therefore, reduce the sectional area with exactness securing maximum efiiciencyand also present a neat setback appearance as indicated at thepointsB. C and D of Figs. I and II. In order to present a portal-like appearance I- preferably cover the horizontal members by employing a cross frame 27 upon which is attached panels 28, which panels add an artistic value to the tower, thus removing the lattice-work appearance so common in this type of construction. I It will thus be seen that I have produced a tower structure which will accomplish all the objects above set forth. 1

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes relative to the material, size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:-

1. A tower for a suspension bridge comprising a plurality of posts, each embodying in its construction a series of vertically and horizontally arranged rectangular hollow cells, diminishing in number with the height of the tower.

2. In a tower for a suspension bridge, comprising a pair of spaced posts, each of said posts embodying in its construction a series of rectangular hollow vertical cell members of the same cross-sectional area and diminishing in number with the height of the tower whereby the crosssection of the tower corresponds with the diminishing stress and'the tower height.

thewalls of saidcells being vertically arranged,

and in parallelism, the horizontal arrangement of said cells decreasing in number with the height of said posts, certain of said cells in said posts having a larger horizontal cross-section thanthe remaining cells.

5. In a suspension bridge, a tower comprising a pair of spaced posts, each of said posts embodying in its construction a series of horizontally arranged rectangular hollow cells having vertical walls spaced about a central opening in said posts, and other cells having vertical walls arranged in vertical alignment with the first mentioned cells, the horizontal arrangement of cells decreasing-in. number with the height of the posts said posts being of cellular construction throughout their entire height and width.

- JOSEPH B. STRAUSS. 

